Child protection internet watchdog begins work

Harmful websites promoting suicide to children or including cyber-bullying are
to be targeted by a new internet watchdog.

By Jon Swaine

2:22AM BST 29 Sep 2008

From today, the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, which will report directly to the Prime Minister, will monitor the web for offensive content accessible by children. It will order that sites illegally encouraging suicide or harmful behaviour are taken down.

The Council has also drawn up a voluntary code of conduct, under which websites can promise to root out violent or pornographic content within a set deadline and be vigilant in preventing bullying on message boards.

It has been set up by the Government in response to recommendations made by Dr Tanya Byron, the television psychologist, in a report published in March. She was comissioned by Gordon Brown to examine how children could be better protected from inappropriate or harmful material online and in computer games.

Dr Byron said she hoped the Council would protect children while allowing them to enjoy exploring the internet.

"Every parent will know that know that the internet is a part of childhood like never before," she said. "This is extremely positive; giving kids the opportunities to learn to have fun and communicate in ways that previous generations could only dream of.

Related Articles

"But it can also present a huge challenge to parents and other adults involved in the welfare of children."

Council subgroups are to be set up to protect vulnerable children - including those who self-harm or are anorexic or bulimic - from websites promoting these activities, and to oversee online computer games, which allow children to elude cinema-style certificates that prevent them buying the games in shops.

The Council will also introduce Kitemark-style branding for software that it plans to have packaged with every computer sold for home use in Britain. It is hoped the software will make it straightforward for parents to set up controls limiting their children's access to adult websites.

The Council is also planning to push major search engines - such as Google and Yahoo! - to make it easier for parents to limit what results are given in response to searches made by their children. It wants parents to have the option of "locking" the search criteria to a set safety level.

Under Dr Byron's plans, search companies are to be encouraged to display helpline numbers and advice to children searching for information on bullying, eating disorders or other problems.

Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary and Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, will launch the Council in a presentation on Monday and it will be jointly overseen by their departments.

Speaking in advance of the launch, Mr Balls said: "We want to help children and young people to make the most of what all digital and interactive technologies can offer.

"By putting in place the right support for children, young people and parents we can reduce much of the anxiety that exists around the internet."

Miss Smith said that the council will comprise industry, charity and government experts.

"Earlier this year, the Home Office published the first ever social networking guidance," she said.

"The Council builds on this by bringing together more than 100 organisations, all committed to keeping children safe online. By working in partnership we can intensify our efforts to protect young people."